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Saturday, April 11, 2015

Growing up in Dallas in the late 80's and early 90's, I was exposed to quite an eclectic variety of music. The state of today's mainstream radio is what made me realize how good we really had it back in the day in Big D. At the time, we were all over the place three or four nights a week, from Greenville Avenue to Deep Ellum to Dallas Alley. We'd hop from bar to bar listening to everything from rock to blues to country to Tejano to house music to rap to piano bars... you get the idea. There was one place in particular, Dallas City Limits, where I first cut my teeth on the metal sound that would shape my younger years. Twelve Years Driven has brought me back to that time and now everything has come full circle.

Houston, TX, metal quintet Twelve Years Driven is back again with another stellar EP, the self-titled Twelve Years Driven. Proving that it's never good enough to rest on your own laurels, the guys have taken the old adage of "stepping up their game" to an entirely new level. If I weren't already a huge mark for this band, this EP would be the one that turned me. From the second that you hit play, the band is already at full throttle with Devil's Way and you just know you're in for something special. Guitarist Larry Gilstrap told me that they think this is the best work that they've done so far. Who am I to argue? My response to him was that I listen to a lot of Sirius XM Octane. This four song EP is the best thing going on in the world of metal music right now. Period. There isn't a single artist played on Octane that I'd take over Twelve Years Driven, and there are some really good bands on there that are in the prime of their careers. I'd STILL take Twelve Years Driven over every one of them. Every single time.

Robert Rice's vocals are something special. He's a breed apart. The hottest percussion section ever assembled with Kris Wood on bass and
Mark Sebren on drums punch you right in the eardrums from the get-go, and with Adam Simmons and Larry Gilstrap shredding guitars like nobody's business, Twelve Years Driven remind me so much of Pantera in their early days that it's uncanny. Remember my mention of Dallas City Limits back in the day? Yes, I was there when Pantera was cutting their teeth in the Dallas music scene before they blew up worldwide. Yes, I remember how hungry they were and how that set them apart from every other act at the time. Guess what I see and hear in Twelve Years Driven? Exactly. There's a torch that needs to be lit again. When it is, I want to see these guys standing tall over all of us leading the way for indie artists the world over to finally have their time to shine.Check out the official Twelve Years Driven website and their Reverbnation page. Follow them on Twitter and like them on Facebook. Most importantly, request the hell out of them on your local radio stations and on the many internet stations already on the bandwagon. It's time to take back the airwaves!And as always, follow along here on MY Indie Music Blog for all things Twelve Years Driven as they happen!Give indie music a chance.